Philosophy and Rugby Tackling Emotions

Rugby is a close cousin of football (soccer), but it’s a far more “glocal” game. It’s played on every continent, yet it’s deeply rooted in some corners of the world while barely registering in the places right next door. Little wonder, then, that sociologists and anthropologists have taken an interest in it. Pierre Sansot and Anne Saouter, for instance, have explored rugby culture in Southwest France from an anthropological angle.

Philosophy has been a bit slower to join the scrum, though thinkers like Michel Serres and Catherine Kintzler have long been fascinated by this collective combat sport. Serres even argued that watching rugby gives us a window onto the deep workings of human nature: the tectonic plates that shape how we live in society and relate to the world.

And it’s easy to see why. Rugby, in all its beauty and complexity, raises real philosophical questions: how do the individual and the group fit together? How do justice and the law relate? It’s also a perfect illustration of Yves Vargas’s thesis that, in sport, the rule carries ontological value. That’s why work by former players who think about the oval ball game philosophically is especially valuable.

With all this in mind, the University of Évora is delighted to host the International Conference on Philosophy and Rugby, “Tackling Emotions,” on 25 and 26 May 2027. We warmly invite anyone drawn to either of these passions to join us in our beautiful, historic city. Together we can dig into these questions, and many others, and keep strengthening the dialogue between rugby and philosophy.

We’d love to hear from you! Proposals for communications are open until 30 November 2026.

Please send us an abstract of 250 to 350 words, along with a short biographical note (100 words maximum). Presentations will run for up to 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute discussion, so there will be plenty of time for exchange.

Submissions should be sent to [email protected].